emDocs - February 7, 2022 - By Isabelle Piazza and Roberto Cosentini
Reviewed by: Jay Khadpe; Alex Koyfman
Background
Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome that results from any structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood. The cardinal manifestations are dyspnea and fatigue, which may limit exercise tolerance, and fluid retention, which may lead to pulmonary, splanchnic congestion, and/or peripheral edema. There is not a single diagnostic test for HF because it is largely a clinical diagnosis based on a careful history and physical examination. In the emergency setting, it may be difficult to differentiate HF syndrome from other conditions that may present with a very similar clinical
HF Mimics
- Pneumonia
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Pulmonary embolism
- Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)